Full Bloom Blog

Disney Spings is easily the best way to get your dose of Disney but without heading to the theme parks or needing to purchase tickets. I won’t necessarily call it a cheaper way to do Disney because what you save in park tickets, you could easily wind up spending on their copious amounts of shopping and dining available. There is certainly no shortage of places to spend money in Disney Springs and most of it comes with a Disney sized price tag. All that being said, there really is so much to do and see there! Rather than spending an entire day there, we popped over for a little bit each day. Maybe because it was within walking distance of our hotel or maybe because of the plethora of dining options we found ourselves heading there…a lot. So this post isn’t what we did in one day, but is the collection of all of our short visits there and all the exploring we did!

Dining and Drinking

Wine Bar George and The Basket

Lets start with places to eat! As previously mentioned in my first post about this trip, our first meal in Orlando was at Wine Bar George. We also tried their quick serve walk up window called The Basket. It has all kinds of little nibbles and beverages but Erik was all about trying the buffalo fries. One of our favorite Orlando vloggers highly recommended them so while we were there, obviously we had to give them a try (any other Tim Tracker fans out there?!).

Just in case you missed my post with the details of our first day there (go read through our day of travel and first day in Orlando!) here is our meal at Wine Bar George:

Chicken Guy

Oddly Enough, this wound up being one of Erik’s favorite places to eat in the Springs. It is a quick service location so you get in and out pretty quickly not to mention that it is one of the cheaper places to eat. But cheap is still too expensive if the food isn’t good – but it certainly is here! The founder of Chicken Guy is Guy Fieri (from Food Network) and it definitely delivers on the flavor. Our favorite thing there was the Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ sandwich. I’m a sucker for coleslaw on a sandwich but there are also potato chips on it as well. Wild. We highly recommend stopping in if you’re looking for a quick bite to eat or something more budget friendly.

The Boat House

Another restaurant that was at the top of my list to give a go was The Boat House. The inside was beautiful and had the cutest boat theming, but I am always about outdoor dining. This was definitely no exception! I was shooting for dock dining and that’s just what we did. Because one can only eat so many meals in a day, we decided to pop in just for appetizers and drinks. We shared the fried calamari, I had a mojito, and Erik had his standard gin and tonic. The drinks were refreshing but not super strong and the calamari was very good! I would say price wise, it falls pretty middle of the road, but the setting was definitely the tops. We watched the car/boat tours launch right by us and were able to enjoy the hot air balloons “voyages”. The fact that the sun was setting behind the water made it extra lovely.

Coca-Cola Store

While I do enjoy a coke every now and then, I’m not a die hard or memorabilia collector by any means. So I was not immediately excited about checking out the Coca-Cola Store. After hearing about a flavor testing option I thought it was worth a try – Erik a little less so, but he humored me. Wifey advantage right there! We were both excited to learn that drinks are served at their rooftop beverage bar! I ordered a Vanilla Russian and Erik got a long island. Admittedly, I cannot remember what’s in it, but I believe it contains vanilla coke and clearly a lot of whipped cream. We enjoyed our drinks looking over Disney Springs and did a little people watching. It was a fun pitstop and I’m glad we checked it out! They have a great variety of fun mixed drinks with and without alcohol to try and even if you go just for the view it’s a fun activity with or without the kiddos!

Amorettes Patisserie

I definitely recommend making your way over here if you are in search of a dessert while in Disney Springs. It’s true that I would pass up a lot of places in favor of a good patisserie, but even the theming and atmosphere here made it extra fun. The bakes were not the best I’ve ever had, but I still found it to be an enjoyable experience. We tried a few treats: chocolate hazelnut eclair, pistachio macaron (because I am a macaron nerd) and a blueberry lemon cheesecake. My favorite by far was the cheesecake! Another fun thing to consider is that you can order a glass of champagne with your sweets so you can really get that full Parisian experience!

Vivoli il Gelato

I mentioned this in the post about our first day in Orlando, but it’s worth mentioning again here! Gelato is a family favorite treat so we generally don’t pass up an opportunity to get some! My go-to flavor is stracciatella. Erik is obsessed with hazelnut. Not the best I’ve ever had, but still worth a go!

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Who could deny a cupcake ATM?! Unfortunately, it was not open while we visited (due to COVID something or another). But hoping to give it a go next time we’re there!

Shopping and Activities

True story, I giggle a little every time I say the word “activities” because I think of the line in Step Brothers (the Will Ferrell movie) when they decide to turn their beds into bunk beds so that they “Will have so much more room for activities!” It’s a great word. But also, sometimes I have to pretend like I’m a mature adult and try to use it without chuckling.

While there is a plethora of beautiful and high end shopping available at Disney Springs, that’s not really my scene. I’m a mom, I don’t own nice things. 😉 So if YOU are into those things, be sure to check all the great stores! I just don’t have a great account of them here. Sorry friends.

Star Wars Galactic Outpost

I am about a moderate level Star Wars nerd. I have seen all the movies, I get excited about new ones coming out, but I do not own costuming or other memorabilia. I loved checking out the store though! Even if you’re not THE biggest fan, it’s fun to see the replicas and other merchandise. Especially if you’re not able to get a park ticket to Hollywood Studios to see Galaxy’s Edge, it’s a fun way to immerse yourself (at least a little) into the Star Wars universe!

World of Disney

I cannot believe I do not have more photographic documentation of this store. It’s the world’s largest Disney store and it does not disappoint! This is one area you certainly feel like you’re in Disney World without entering a theme park. The store is subdivided into little rooms and each has a different theme or target audience. If you’re looking for quintessential Disney merch and/or souvenirs this is the place to go! One could wander in this store for hours…depending on your level of interest!

Goofy’s Candy Company

Realistically, this could have gone under either category of food or shopping. There is lots of prepackaged candy and souvenir snacks around the perimeter of the store, but the whole center island is cases of iconic Disney snacks and treats; seasonal cupcakes, rice cereal treats, cookies, etc. Erik and I bought the kiddos some cute little mint tins, basically just so that they could have the re-usable Mickey tin when they’re done.

Characters in Flight/Aerophile

Although Erik and I did not do this particular attraction while we were in Orlando, it’s an iconic part of Disney Springs. I used this photo in the Boathouse recount since we watched the balloon ascend and descend several times while we dined on the dock. Definitely something to check out with the kiddos!

Vintage Amphicar and Italian Water Taxi

This is another activity that we did not do ourselves but had fun watching! If you enjoy a meal on the dock of Boathouse, it’s a must to wave at the amphicars “driving” by. The launching spot is right next to the restaurant and is lots of fun to watch them motor around the lake! (also photo’d below)

Lego Store

My kids were not with me on this trip sooo…..I did not go inside! Haha. We did however enjoy these life size replica’s built entirely out of Lego’s! They also had a very cool Star Wars display. You should at least walk by the store and marvel at the craftsmanship of these gigantic Lego creations.

Whether you’re stopping by for a quick meal or ready to do a day of shopping, Disney Springs has a little and a lot of everything! Everyone in your family/crew is sure to find something they like to do do, buy, or eat here! Have you been and what’s your favorite thing?!